When It's Peach Picking Time In Georgia

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 I heard a story about a boy that used to climb down a tree near his bedroom window in order to escape punishment. One night he over heard his father tell his mother that he was going to cut down the tree, because it had stopped producing fruit. The panicked boy spent all night with a bushel of peaches and a tube of superglue, and the next morning the tree was full of peaches. He then listen for his father to come in with the morning paper and ran downstairs to the breakfast table to see if his plan had worked. Sure enough, the father said, “I can’t believe it, that old tree is full of peaches.” Then, looking right at his son, he exclaimed, “It’s a miracle!” Getting nervous, the boy said, “Why do you say that dad?” His father smiled and answered, “Because it’s a pear tree!”

The one thing about a tree...it is known by its fruit. A peach tree doesn’t grow cherries and a pear tree doesn’t grow apples. Fruit reflects the character of the Tree that produces it. Umm...and a Believer’s character is reflected by the fruit he produces. The Bible often refers to men as trees. (See Daniel 4) And Paul compares certain characteristics of the victorious Christian life with fruit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galations 5:22-23 (NKJV)

Makes some sense, uh? The Bible asks are we (God's fruit trees) producing love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self -control?

Do we focus on these nine “fruits?” Are they present in our life? Do we bear them all? Do we love, have joy, and are we at peace? Are we longsuffering? Are we kind, good, and faithful?Do we exhibit gentleness, and self -control?

Let us allow the Holy Spirit to fertilize our lives and till the fallow ground of our hearts so we will bear much of these fruits.

Food for thought.